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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950935">My Favourite Dark Creature</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/weightyghosts/pseuds/weightyghosts'>weightyghosts</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hogwarts, Invisibility Cloak (Harry Potter), Love Languages, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Mutual Pining, POV Remus Lupin, Pining, Pre-Relationship, minimal angst, pre-wolfstar, wolfstar, wolfstar fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:46:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,729</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/weightyghosts/pseuds/weightyghosts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“The flirtations were getting out of control, and either Sirius knew the effect he had on Remus and enjoyed torturing him, or he was completely oblivious and Remus would have to put up with it for the rest of his miserable, lonely life.”</p><p>A story of fantasies and fears, pining, and love languages.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Moon and the Stars</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>My Favourite Dark Creature</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story was written for the third and round of an instagram writing competition, hosted by @marauding.wolfstar!<br/>No prompt or word count limit.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>“I swear you’ll be the death of me one day,” Remus grumbled at Sirius, straightening up after having almost been decapitated by the case of butterbeer Sirius was levitating. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s possible,” Sirius quipped, “I am heart-stoppingly good looking.”</p><p> </p><p>“‘Stoppingly’ is not a word,” Remus sighed as they continued down the underground tunnel, illuminated only by the bright blue flames Remus had charmed to float above their heads. He twisted his wand so that his own case did an elegant flip over Sirius’. They’d learned by now to put protection charms on the bottles for the hike back from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. Sirius tended to get bored. </p><p> </p><p>“At least you agree about my looks,” Sirius remarked with a casual toss of his long hair. </p><p> </p><p>“What gave you that idea?”  </p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t disagree,” he replied simply.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but I didn’t agree,” Remus countered.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but you didn’t <em> disagree </em>.”</p><p> </p><p>“Considering my heart is pounding away in my chest,” Remus pointed out in a patronizing tone, “Your theory must be incorrect.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh it’s pounding away, is it?” Sirius raised his eyebrows, a teasing smile on his lips.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t make a dirty joke because I said pounding,” Remus pleaded, and neatly skirted his case out of the way when Sirius tried to knock it against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know where your mind is, Mr. Moony-”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately spending too much time with you, Mr. Padfoot.”</p><p> </p><p>“-But I was only going to ask if it’s normal for your heart to be pounding while walking at a leisurely pace? Or,” Sirius stopped abruptly, and pulled Remus to a halt beside him, “Is it being in proximity to an <em> outrageously </em>gorgeous bloke, such as myself, that makes your pulse race?”</p><p> </p><p>“My pulse isn’t racing, thank you very much,” Remus lied, his voice much more stable than he felt. He was mesmerized by the way the dark lighting threw deep indigo shadows on Sirius’ face, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and alluring Cupid’s bow. </p><p> </p><p>“Shall we see?” Sirius whispered. He reached out and brushed his fingers along Remus’ neck, just above his collarbone and up to a spot below his jaw, right where Sirius would be able to feel his frantic heart. </p><p> </p><p>Remus cleared his suddenly dry throat. “My heart rate is faster than yours,” he quickly grasped for an excuse, “Werewolf thing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Sirius asked, looking from Remus’ neck back up to his eyes as his curiosity was piqued. It was enough of a distraction for Remus to wriggle away from him. </p><p> </p><p>“No,” he grinned over his shoulder as he fled the scene, trying to walk as fast as he could without it seeming like he was actually running from Sirius. </p><p> </p><p>His case of butterbeer bounced off the wall as he rushed around a corner, and he finally spotted the false wall that hid the entrance to the secret passageway. Remus almost groaned with relief. He had to get away from Sirius; the flirtations were getting out of control, and either Sirius knew the effect he had on Remus and enjoyed torturing him, or he was completely oblivious and Remus would have to put up with it for the rest of his miserable, lonely life.</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” Sirius remarked as he appeared behind Remus, “Lying is a huge turn off, Moony.”</p><p> </p><p>“So is your massive ego, Padfoot,” Remus replied. </p><p> </p><p>They set their cases on the ground, tapping them with their wands so that they shrunk down to pocket size. After straightening up with the bottles safely tucked away, Sirius pulled James’ invisibility cloak from his robes and, once again, stepped up to Remus. “I only state the facts, Moony.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like I was trying to turn you on,” Remus said, trying to sound defensive, but failing as his voice wavered when Sirius crowded into his space. He took out his wand and extinguished the blue flames so that Sirius couldn’t see his panicked face, plunging them into near darkness.</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Sirius retorted in a low voice, and threw the cloak over them. “Neither was I.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Remus echoed, and looked away under the pretence of bending his neck so they would fit without their feet showing. He didn’t know why he played this game with Sirius. It always ended with Sirius having the upper hand, and Remus blushing and running away. He could easily change the subject, talk about disgusting things like bubotuber pus or whatever was growing under Pete’s bed, but apparently he couldn’t help himself. </p><p> </p><p>He could feel Sirius watching him for a moment before he turned and opened the hidden entrance. They came out onto the first floor, stepping around the statue of Gregory the Smarmy as the concealed wall silently moved back into place on its own.</p><p> </p><p>They made their way to the main staircase, and Remus braced himself for the intimate trek to Gryffindor tower, intensely aware of the warm air they were sharing, as well as every place their limbs brushed against each other. </p><p> </p><p>“Pete’s birthday should be fun tomorrow,” Remus blurted out, desperate for something to focus on that wasn’t the enticing scent of his best mate’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Sirius agreed, glancing sideways at Remus, “As long as we make sure he’s the centre of attention, he’ll have a great time.”</p><p> </p><p>“You mean as long as you sacrifice your own time in the spotlight?” Remus mocked, playfully elbowing Sirius in the side.</p><p> </p><p>“Oi!” Sirius protested, reciprocating with his own elbow jab, “I’m happy to shine the spotlight on a mate when it’s his birthday.”</p><p> </p><p>“So all the girls that will undoubtedly be fawning over you, you’ll send them Pete’s way?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course.”</p><p> </p><p>“But then who will you let out all of your charm on, Sirius?” Remus pretended to be utterly concerned by this, “I think you might implode if you don’t flirt your way into someone’s knickers at a party.”</p><p> </p><p>Sirius scowled at him in a way that Remus thought he shouldn’t find so damn attractive, but then again, he was fairly sure Sirius could have his eyebrows hexed off and Remus would still want to snog him silly. </p><p> </p><p>“I sense a challenge, Moony,” Sirius declared, “And I accept.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t challenge you,” Remus pointed out, “But I don’t think you could do it anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“You might be right.” Sirius tapped his chin as he mused on this. “I need an outlet,” he concluded, turning to Remus with a cheeky smile, “How about you, my Moony dearest? Perhaps I’ll woo you at the party tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Woo me?” Remus snorted, pushing down the frenzied butterflies that had spawned in his stomach. “No, thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see. Well, maybe that’s for the best,” Sirius said with a shrug of casual indifference, “I doubt you could handle the full power of the Sirius Black charm.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t think so?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope. I haven’t met anyone yet who’s been able to resist.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus snickered. “McGonagall does a pretty good job.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, Minnie loves it,” Sirius dismissed him with a wave of his hand, “She wants me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What a fun little fantasy world you live in, Sirius.”</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, Remus,” Sirius dropped his voice as if he were letting Remus in on a furtive secret, “If we were in my fantasy world, this evening would have gone<em> a lot </em>differently.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus stopped walking so suddenly that Sirius almost entirely slipped out from under the cloak. He quickly backtracked and sidled up to Remus, surreptitiously looking around to make sure no one had seen the lower half of his body.  </p><p> </p><p>“What is it?”</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘What is it?’ </em> Did Sirius really expect Remus not to pause at his remark? At the possible implication that Sirius might be having <em> fantasies </em> about him? He felt a hot blush creep up his neck, colouring his cheeks. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius must have been able to see his flushed face even in the dimly lit castle, or maybe he could feel the heat radiating off Remus, because he smirked in a thoroughly smug (and distractingly sexy) way. “Told you that you couldn’t handle my charm, Moony.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Remus huffed with indignation, “It’s not that.” He tried to reassure himself that Sirius was just kidding. Sure, this might have been taking the flirting further than he ever had before, but Sirius flirted with everyone. What made Remus any different?</p><p> </p><p>“Then what is it?” Sirius asked tentatively. He was chewing on the inside of his cheek, a habit he couldn’t control when he was unsure or nervous, and Remus didn't know what to make of that. </p><p> </p><p>“I was just...” <em> Just thinking about my own fantasies that you star in almost every night, Sirius. </em> No, he couldn’t do it. He didn’t understand Sirius’ feelings or motivations, and not understanding something made Remus uneasy. He swivelled back to familiar territory, “Er, just thinking what a dark and terrifying place your fantasy world must be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Sirius exhaled with a shaky laugh. “Yeah, you definitely wouldn’t want to go there,” he said, as they started to softly walk through the halls again, “Spooky stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>“Full of ghosts and ghouls and dark creatures?” Remus teased.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but don’t worry,” Sirius reassured, his mouth pulled into a warm half-smile, “My favourite dark creature is there to keep me company.”</p><p> </p><p>Before Remus could respond, they arrived at the portrait hole, and Sirius looked around for any roaming prefects or professors, before tugging the invisibility cloak off of them. “<em>Treacle tart </em>,” he said to the Great Lady, who grumbled sleepily at them and opened the hidden door to their common room, which was empty due to the late hour. </p><p> </p><p>Remus climbed through first, his thoughts reeling as he waited for Sirius. Remus liked to think he knew Sirius well after more than six years. Sirius wasn’t one to spell out his innermost thoughts and feelings; he hinted at things, showing his emotions through actions, not words. And how did he act with Remus? </p><p> </p><p>Moments of their friendship played inside his mind, quickly flipping past like the scenery through the windows of the Hogwarts Express: Sirius’ gentle hands on him after the full moon; Sirius bringing him his favourite tea; helping Remus with his homework when he’s too exhausted to think straight; pulling a blanket over him when he’s fallen asleep reading; becoming an animagus for him so that he doesn’t have to spend the worst nights of his life alone every month… </p><p> </p><p>It was hard for Remus to admit. Even though his parents had done what they could to make him feel loved, a part of him always suspected that that was out of guilt or obligation. He had spent so much of his life believing he wasn’t good enough, or human enough, to truly be loved. But didn’t Sirius spend every day showing Remus how much he loved him?</p><p> </p><p>They ascended the stairs to the boy’s dorms silently, both lost in thought, and Remus’ doubts began to filter in as quickly as his hope had. Sirius would be mad to choose a dark creature over a whole, healthy human. While Sirius claimed to never be afraid of Remus, friendship was different from a romantic relationship. Wouldn’t he be scared to spend his life with someone like Remus?</p><p> </p><p>They reached their dorm and paused outside it, turning so they faced each other. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re not afraid of him, then?” Remus asked in a low voice, fidgeting with his shirt sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>“Who?” Sirius asked, blinking as if coming out of a haze. He also kept his voice down so as not to alert James or Peter that they were there. “My favourite dark creature?”</p><p> </p><p>Remus nodded minutely. “Must be dangerous, no?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah,” Sirius grinned as he dismissed that as a ridiculous question, “He’s as harmless as a crup.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus snorted in disbelief, though there was no humour in it. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s true,” Sirius insisted. “Besides,” he said, taking a step closer so they were almost toe to toe, “What’s life without a little danger, Moony?” </p><p> </p><p>All Remus could hear was his pulse hammering in his ears, and all Remus could see was Sirius looking up at him, his dark grey eyes brewing with a storm of emotion that was yet unfamiliar to Remus. He was pulled towards Sirius as if the gravity that grounded him to the earth had now transferred to the beautiful person in front of him, and he could feel a tectonic shift occurring under the surface of their friendship.</p><p> </p><p>He shifted closer, until Sirius’ breath came as warm puffs of air on his face, and just as Remus’ eyes slid down to his lips, they parted as Sirius spoke. </p><p> </p><p>“I am a little afraid, I think,” he confided in a soft voice.</p><p> </p><p>Remus jerked back, not having realized just how close he’d been leaning in, his eyes wide with alarm. <em> He’s afraid of me, he’s afraid of me, I knew it. </em> </p><p> </p><p>“No!” Sirius exclaimed, “No, Moony, not...I’m not afraid of <em> you</em>,” he hastened to explain. He put his hands up, as if he were going to reach out and place them on Remus’ chest, but reconsidered and dropped them lower, playing with the fabric on the front of Remus’ robes. He was chewing on his cheek again, his gaze focused on his fingers. “I’m just... I don’t want…”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t want what?” Remus murmured, feeling that magnetic pull again, feeling like his heart was trying to jump out of his chest and into Sirius’ hands.</p><p> </p><p>Sirius’ shimmering eyes flicked back up to his, and he whispered, “I don’t want-”</p><p> </p><p>They both jumped a foot in the air as the dormitory door was abruptly yanked open, and they leapt apart when James’ confused face peered out.</p><p> </p><p>“What’re you two doing?” He asked, frowning with suspicion. </p><p> </p><p>Sirius put on a smile and patted James’ shoulder. “Just talking about how much we missed you this evening, Prongsie.” He sidled past James without another glance at Remus.</p><p> </p><p>James rolled his eyes and moved aside for Remus to follow. “More like plotting how you’ll get me and Wormy to go on the next Hogsmeade run so you lazy arses don’t have to.”</p><p> </p><p>“We were happy to do it for our Wormy’s birthday,” Sirius refuted in a dignified voice. He stepped over to Peter, who was laying on his bed, and took out his miniature case of butterbeer to hand it to him. Peter grinned as he accepted it.</p><p> </p><p>Remus walked over and did the same, watching as Peter tucked them away in his trunk with the other supplies for the party, and avoided looking at Sirius as they settled in to go over the birthday plan again.</p><p> </p><p>A little while later, Remus was in his pyjamas, brushing his teeth alone in the bathroom, when Sirius came in. He wandered over to the sinks and hovered next to Remus, methodically taking out his toothbrush and squeezing on his favourite rhubarb toothpaste, a thoughtful expression on his face. Remus was rinsing his mouth and about to bolt from the room when Sirius spoke.</p><p> </p><p>“I was thinking, Moony,” he garbled around his toothbrush, looking up into the mirror so their eyes met. “I don’t know if we have enough butterbeer for tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Sirius nodded earnestly, “We might have to go back to Hogsmeade before the party.”</p><p> </p><p>Remus saw a glint of a promise, a secret, in Sirius’ eyes, and he felt those same frenzied butterflies migrate back into his stomach. </p><p> </p><p>“‘We’ as in…”</p><p> </p><p>“You and me, of course,” Sirius stated, as if this were obvious, and leaned down to spit into the sink before rinsing his mouth. He turned towards Remus, their faces inches away, and Sirius reached out to tug gently on the hem of Remus’ shirt, “That tunnel is spooky,” he continued in a low voice, “I’ll need my werewolf there with me.” </p><p> </p><p>Remus could see in the mirror that his mouth had popped open in surprise, but he couldn’t seem to get his brain working again to do something about it. He should respond, but his mind was completely empty, except for the vague thought that Sirius still looked gorgeous with toothpaste on his chin.</p><p> </p><p>Sirius suddenly dropped his hand and stepped back, beaming at Remus. “‘Night, Moons,” he said cheerily, then dashed out of the room, leaving Remus staring after him.</p><p> </p><p>That night, it took Remus a long time to fall asleep, but when he did, it was with a smile on his face, and the words, <em> ‘my werewolf,’ </em> playing on repeat in his head.</p><p> </p><p>*</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading!!<br/>Come say hi on instagram @weightyghosts0 :)</p><p>(And yes, I know I called the Fat Lady the Great Lady. It was on purpose! JKR is fatphobic as hell.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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